Reservoir girls lacrosse handles Hammond, 14-4

In some sports, it’s about winning the 50-50 balls. For a young Reservoir team, it’s about winning the 50-50 games.

In other words, it’s about winning the games in which you have the best chance to be successful. For example, Monday’s game against Hammond, which Reservoir won, 14-4.

“We were hungry for a win. Honestly. Especially against a team that we can be competitive with,” said Reservoir’s Alexis Bartley. By game’s end, the sophomore midfielder had five goals and an assist.

Reservoir, the home team, scored the first three goals of the contest, but Hammond responded with three goals of its own. All came off the stick of Brigid Mangan, who eventually accounted for all of Hammond’s goals.

Hammond’s attempt to narrow the gap resulted in Zoe Pekins receiving a yellow card for a dangerous follow-through.

The yellow card put Hammond a man down and was the prelude to “if it can go wrong, it will.”

“It was about to be 5-4 and we had the momentum going, then to take away a goal and take one of our better players out of the game … when you’re young like we are, and inexperienced, that doesn’t set well,” said Hammond coach Bill Smith.

Reservoir then scored eight unanswered goals to force a running clock and put the game out of reach.

“To get a county victory feels good,” said Reservoir’s Leah Monroe, who scored five goals.

Although they won their season opener against an out-of-county team, Monday’s game was the Gators’ first county win of the season.

A lot can happen in 9 seconds, and llittle of it was in Glenelg Country School’s favor.

Playing at St. John’s Catholic Prep Monday afternoon, the Dragons rallied from a 4-1 deficit to the tie game and then lead by one at the half. No more than two goals separated the teams in the second half.

Glenelg Country, which had no available substitutes, tied the score 12-all with 9 seconds left in the game.

“It was an amazing goal by Lauren Smith off an assist from Mallory Pappas,” said Glenelg Country School coach Paige Walton. “It was a great shot.”

St. John’s got the next draw and Glenelg Country was called for a foul as the clock ran out.

The officials decided to put time back on the clock, which gave St. John’s a second chance.

“They passed to someone down low, she juked my defender and she juked our goalkeeper and they won,” Walton said.

While the outcome was ultimately determined in the last few seconds, Walton said that her team let St. John’s back in the game with bad clears and missed plays.

Defender KevynAnn Jorgenson, one of two seniors on Glenelg Country’s team, missed the game with injury. Marissa Burks dropped down to play defense and did a great job, Walton said.

“It was a tough one today,” Walton said. “I was asking a lot of them with no subs.”

She hopes some of the injured players back in a few days.

Glenelg Country hosts Seton Keough on Thursday and then St. John’s in a rematch Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m.